Defying Destiny
by rubies'n'diamonds
Summary: Set AFTER season 2 finale. Cronus is gone. Life is normal. But what is normal? When something is your destiny, isn't anything other than that abnormal? Appearances are deceptive, and so is destiny. Something the heroes must all learn... OC/?, J/T, A/A.
1. The Start of Summer

**Disclaimer: We do not own "Class of the Titans" nor any of its characters, but we do own characters we've created ourselves. And I wish I owned Jay, lol...but I don't...Just so you know :)**

**A/N: This is a joint account, where the storeis are written by two of us me (dazzeling diamond, who wrote this chapter) and rubyinnle (also known on another account as/; wings of corrugated irony). This is our first venture into "Class of the Titans", so please review with any comments you have on the characters and storyline. We will let you know who writes each chapter accordingly, but ultimately it ends up changed and edited by both of us.**

**Please, enjoy and review! :D**

**Chapter 1: **

"_BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING"_

"Could that bell be any louder?" Atlanta complained, covering her ears with her hands. Swarms of students brushed passed her and Theresa, desperate to remove themselves from the school halls on a Friday afternoon, before the start of summer vacation. Locker doors slammed in succession, creating the cacophony that filled the halls. Theresa smiled, for someone who appeared so tough and full of spunk, Atlanta did have her whiney moments.

The pair continued to walk down the halls, their only plans were to collapse in their dorms for the night. Theresa, for one, was extremely content with the uneventful activities they'd planned…makeovers, gorging on cookie dough, perhaps the odd teen flick, but mostly…the complete avoidance of anything remotely connected to Greek mythology.

She sighed involuntarily, as the two moved towards the dorm in no rush, allowing the non-boarding students to fly by them on their race out the school doors. Atlanta turned to her friend, noting the vague distance in her eyes.

"Ok, what's up? 'Cause I know you miss Jay and all that jazz….but we _are_ still going to have a fun summer break, yeah?" Atlanta said pointedly. She adored her friend, and didn't want her spending the holidays slumming over the fact that Jay was away to Greece. Theresa released another sigh.

"It's not about Jay," she replied slowly, his tanned face flashing pleasantly through her mind, as they continued at a comfortable pace. _Take care of yourself_... he'd said, his warm brown eyes full of concern, as he let go of Theresa's hand to board the plane. He'd wanted to say more, she'd sensed it as he let go of her hand with a heavy reluctance. Yet he said nothing after that, he wasn't normally speechless. Their leader always had words for them.

Atlanta's wide eyes peered at her inquisitively, interrupting her thoughts "Welll then…What is it?"

She watched her friend swallow uncomfortably, tucking a loose wave of red-gold hair behind her ear, before biting her lip. "Oh, come on Theresa, we know each other too well…so quit stalling!" Atlanta barked, her voice full of a friendly impatience.

"Well," Theresa began, as she placed her books in a straight stack on the dining room table, before shifting into the kitchen to dish out a half eaten bag of chips. After picking out a few chips, she tossed the bag to Atlanta and followed her to the awaiting couch in front of the TV.

"I'm still a little…shocked…and um, shaken, from all the stuff I did earlier," Theresa finally stated.

Atlanta raised a perfectly interrogative brow, which made her entire countenance quite striking assisted by her flaming red hair, "Are you talking about the chocolate you overheated in Home Economics which then burnt and exploded in the microwave?"

Theresa smiled for a second, something which had been foreign to her for an incredibly long time. "No, silly," she chimed, popping another potato chip in her mouth while reaching distractedly for the remote.

"Then what? Is it school? Is it that new girl on the hockey team, the one who's desperate for your position, who you told off and she had a fit? Is it Neil's vanity and how he was staring at his reflection in the school trophy cabinet and then you came and laughed at him and stole that stupid compact of his? I can't read minds…That's supposed to be your job!" She finished. Atlanta was tired, tired of having to search her friend for every hidden detail. For being so close to Theresa, Atlanta felt like she was usually the one doing all the sharing.

Theresa awkwardly continued to try turning the TV on, but to no avail. "Why isn't the darn thing turning on?" she muttered in frustration, still pushing the buttons.

"Uh, Theresa," Atlanta piped up, interrupting her furious button pushing. "_What?_" Theresa snapped.

"That's your cell phone…not the remote," Atlanta answered.

Theresa glanced at her hand, and sure enough it was her cell phone, the very expensive one her father had sent over from Japan for her birthday…two months ahead of its actual release. She'd taken to using it, instead of her PMR, for casual calls.

"Oh my God, Atlanta, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to snap or anything, it's just that, I'm still in shock…I can't believe all the stuff I said, and did to you guys, and Hera and everyone…I mean, I almost destroyed them…I was that out of control. It just sickens me to think I could have hurt you guys," Theresa burst, an image of Jay entering her mind. Jay, he'd saved her from herself…and she nearly destroyed him…all of them.

Atlanta was silent. She too, remembered Theresa's aura, her primal force, which Persephone had been honing to hold more power, take over ever part of her friend, angst and all, and render the Gods mortal. Normalcy, control…everything Theresa had been craving and bottled up, had driven her aura to destroy the Gods…to destroy any purpose for there to be heroes.

"Don't worry Theresa…you didn't do anything permanent, all's well that ends well…I mean…I, I…don't know how to answer this…Jay's better at the talking than I am," Atlanta mumbled, before perking up "But I do know, that the Gods themselves have forgiven you, and so have we, so you don't need to panic anymore, yeah?"

Theresa glanced at her friend, a very potent fear in her emerald eyes as she met Atlanta's calm ones. She wanted to say more. Yet she knew Atlanta would not be able to handle it, despite being the good friend that she was. _But how do I know it won't happen again…how do I know that I won't go out of control, and hurt any one of you…_Theresa wondered, as Atlanta switched on MTV.

"Sup guys?" called out a male voice, African-American in accent.

"Yeah, sup?" seconded a deeper male voice, followed by a third, rather prissy voice screeching, "YOU! YOU have my mirror! Gimme it!"

In their respective order, Odie, then Herry came forward…while Neil lunged at Theresa, only to be restrained by the collar of his next season Dolce & Gabbana shirt. "Easy there," Herry said, his hand firmly gripping Neil's collar.

"Oh here you go, I don't think I could stand to see a grown model cry," Theresa taunted, a smile plastered on her face as she dangled the mirror in front of Neil's nose. Herry conveniently let go of Neil's shirt, while Theresa' simultaneously dropped the gold mirror.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Neil cried, as he hit the ground with a thud, his arms outstretched to catch the gold image reflector, before it met its unfortunate demise upon the dormitory floor. Luckily, he mirror fell straight into Neil's manicured hands.

He stood up, straightening out his shirt, turning to Herry and Theresa, who were in hysterics. "Ok, ok, laugh now…but don't ask me for help when the debutante ball rolls around! Sweet mother of Gucci…_People_ these days," Neil popped his collar and put on his Ray Bans, and smoothed his platinum blonde hair, before strutting out of the room.

Everyone glanced at each other, before bursting into uproarious laughter. Neil's antics never got old! Odie and Herry pulled up a couple of stools and sat down near the girls.

"So," said Odie "What are your plans for the summer, going anywhere, doing anything?"

Atlanta shook her head "Nah, I'm pretty much stuck here…I know, 'whoopee," she made a sarcastic circling motion with her pointer finger "but it'll be good, and the only lessons we'll have are with our mentors, so it should be fine,"

"I know, even though they seem to think we've defeated Cronus, they still want us to keep training…weird," commented Herry, delving into the potato chips bag.

Odie nodded "Yeah, I suppose it's like any muscle, if you don't train it, you lose it, and they wouldn't want that for us,"

The others continued to talk while Theresa stared at the TV, giving everyone a convincing portrayal of a concentrated viewer, focused on advertisements. Sure she was staring, but seeing couldn't have been further than the truth. She didn't want to hone her powers; the last time she did, she nearly destroyed everyone. There was always an uncomfortable pause in her train of thought whenever any of them mentioned the Gods…or anything related to training.

"Where's Archie?" Atlanta chirped, attempting to sound nonchalant. Odie and Herry exchanged glances.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" teased Herry. "Shut up!" Atlanta shrieked, throwing a pillow at Herry, for whom it may as well have been a feather.

Odie shook his head and said "He wouldn't tell us in so many words…something about help with his Chemistry homework from yesterday, he wanted to stay behind and get help from Svetlana Vodianova, that foreign exchange student…she's actually really good at chem. In fact, today she and I tested the distillation of par—"

"Ok…ixnay on the school talk….and seriously, Archie? Chemistry? _Svetlana?_ That Russian bombshell, with an accent as thick as honey?" Atlanta shrieked, a little louder and higher than she intended.

"Well, done Atlanta, I see your metaphors have improved, spending time with Calliope have you?" Odie retorted, referring to the Muse of Epic Poetry "Besides, don't tell me you actually believe his spending time in the lab will lead to other kinds of chemistry…"

She flung another well-aimed pillow at Odie, while he and Herry carried on laughing. The three of them continued to talk, unaware of Theresa's silence. Or perhaps, they simply believed that the infomercial for the Cyclonic Vacuum 5000 she was watching, was too riveting to avert her attention from.

"Good to hear laughter," entered a new voice. Everyone looked up, including Theresa. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom stood before them, her hair, a vivid purple crop, was somewhat luminescent under the ceiling light

Herry stood up with a bashful sort of respect, twiddling his fingers "Hi Athena….so….what's, um, what's fo—"

"Dinner?" she finished, with a smile.

"You know me so well!"

"Welll…I was thinking of doing a Moroccan lamb today, with a side of Mediterranean vegetables and cous cous….and then for desert some baklava, sound good?" Athena offered.

"Sounds like…food. Perfect," replied Herry.

"Oh, but in the mean time… you've all been called," added Athena, as she put on her apron. The teenagers exchanged puzzled glances. A meeting? At the start of their summer vacation?

"Greeeat…" groaned Atlanta "Just when we were starting to loosen up,"

Athena's striking face took on a smile, highlighting her high cheekbones "Don't panic, it's not an emergency or anything…Hera just wants to have a chat with all of you,"

_A Chat_…_what fun!_ Theresa murmured inwardly. Then she paused mentally, shaking her head. _I have got to stop acting like this…it was my stupid bottled up attitude that nearly hurt them in the first place…_No, I won't do it again. _I must make a change_, she thought defiantly, standing up all of a sudden, yanking Atlanta's arm and pulling her to her feet.

"Ok…ok…we'll go," Atlanta conceded "Uh, anyone know where Neil went? He's going to need to come too,"

Odie acknowledged this, and left the room to find Neil. Just then Theresa's cell phone rang; she glanced at the screen, a message from Jay flashing brightly. Then she couldn't help it, she had to smile. Atlanta noted the sly happiness on Theresa's face, and then grinned herself "A little message….from someone special?"

"Mhm…I will check it later, right now, we've got Greek Deities to deal with… Shall we?" proposed Theresa, not a hint of contempt in her voice. The others nodded, appreciative of her behaviour change.

Then, the unmistakable voice of Neil interrupted the silence "Ok, ok, what's all this about seeing Gods? Because I was just watching _'America's Next Top Model'_…and Tyra was about to eliminate someone! I hope its Chelsea…her nose irritates me an—"

"Yeah, Yeah…shut it, Neil…we've been called, so we gotta go," Atlanta commanded.

His features took on that of a crying puppy "You're all so cruel to me!" he wailed. The others laughed. They had to admit, with Neil around, there was always a sense of "lightness". He always managed to relax everyone.

Theresa's phone rang again; her gaze re-directed to the screen, only to see a second message from Jay. Breathing deeply, she mustered all the energy she could to stop from ringing him right there and then.

"Come on people, we'll swing by the chem. lab and pick up Archie…" Atlanta paused to mutter something under her breath, not unrelated to the 'Russian bombshell' "…and then head over to the Gods," The others trailed behind her as she exited the building.

"I wonder what they've got in store for us this time…" Theresa murmured curiously, as she followed the others.

Unaware that Neil had heard her, she jumped when he replied, "I'm hoping it's 'cause they want a makeover… I mean I know 'Grecian Goddess' is one of the hottest styles, and Donatella _loves _it, but I'm thinking they could experiment with their wardrobes a little more…_I _was thinking… " he spread his hands in front of him, acting out his envisioning "…Nouveau bohemian! What do you think, Theresa?"

Theresa smiled widely, a bold and honest smile, one that truly felt uplifting. "Yes, Neil, that's exactly why we've been called, so you can work your magic on their wardrobes, that's definitely it," she said, giggling freely and placing a friendly arm over his shoulder.

"No one ever takes me seriously," Neil whined, like a four year old pageant girl "Oh well, off to the Gods…hmm, I wonder if I can get Hera to experiment with some liquid liner…"

"Neil!"

"Ok…ok, _no makeovers_," he relented, noting Theresa's raised brows "at least, not right now…"

Having reached the janitor's closet, the gang, now accompanied by Archie, clutching his chemistry homework like some sort of relic, waited while Atlanta placed her medallion in the space for it on the door, opening the portal.

Atlanta sighed as they stepped through, muttering to herself "Here we go…summer vacation? Here we come…" With that, the group entered the portal, unaware of what all awaited them.

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**Ok...so the first chap wasn't the most eventful...but we promise, there is plenty of action to come :D **

**Reviews are UBER appreciated...particularly those that comment on all aspects of the writing ;)**


	2. A Vision

**Woo hoo, We're back (Woo hoo?). lol, anyways, than you all for your reviews. We really appreciate them, this being our first foray into this fandom. Anywhoo, the story might seems slow right now...but there are BIG plans ;) Hope you like it! Enjoy, xo dazzeling diamond and rubyinnle**

The group walked in complete silence, bar the noises made from their footsteps and Archie's incessant crinkling of his chemistry homework. Theresa glanced solemnly at her cell phone, eager to check Jay's messages. _Ooh, wait…there's another one!_ She noted, the screen flashing a familiar name, _He's probably wondering why I haven't replied to all the other messages…_

"Well… Look who's suddenly jealous," Archie remarked, wearing a self-satisfied grin to rival the Cheshire Cat's. Herry and Odie shook their heads, aware of what was about to erupt. Neil, however, remained oblivious as he examined his manicure, ensuring that not a single nail had chipped within the last five minutes.

"I am _not_…but speaking of 'chemistry', I don't think you have many skills in that department!" Atlanta barked defensively, a challenging glare in her eyes. Archie met her glare, momentarily disarming any words of attack

"Well, Svetlana thinks I happen to have a natural talent for—"

Atlanta gritted her teeth "The only thing you have a natural talent for, is being full of—"

"Atlanta!" warned Odie and Herry simultaneously.

"—hot air," she finished, biting back other words that had been eager to escape her lips. She stood squarely in front of Archie, with her arms crossed and her eyes alight. He returned her defensive stance, but with a slightly less intense air about him, in fact, he hadn't wiped the grin of his face since they'd started arguing.

"Guys," whined the unmistakable voice of Neil.

"_What?!_" burst Atlanta and Archie, the unison of their voices were matched by their violently swift glances at Neil. Neil shivered, as though to avoid the daggers of their eyes. Still shivering, he pointed to a few figures standing in front of the teenagers.

Archie and Atlanta turned, only to find Hera's unreadable face rendered so still she may as well have been marble, along with the all the other deities by her side. The only one without a serious face was Aphrodite, or perhaps that was because she was still wearing a seaweed beauty mask and seemed more irritated than solemn.

The argumentative teenagers smiled sheepishly. "He he…" Atlanta laughed nervously, her eyes darting around shiftily, avoiding Hera's cold expression. Hera's face was usually cold, and not cold in the emotional sense of the word. Her alabaster skin hardly appeared to move over her taut face, the icy tone in which she normally spoke only accentuated this.

"Hera, do you wanna start _tawking_ to 'em, cause I've got a bit situation _heeyah_," Aphrodite commented in her thick Queen's accent, her voice barely veiled with patience. She gestured towards the seaweed on her face, some of which proceeded to fall from her permanently flawless skin, and form a rather odd 'splat' sound on the floor. Had Hera's face not been terse to point that it might have torn, the teenagers would have probably laughed.

"You may go," Hera murmured calmly "We will call you when your presence is…" she paused, in search of a better word "…Required."

Aphrodite grinned, "Fabulous!"

With that, she strutted out of the gym in a hurry, leaving the bewildered adolescents with the rest of the deities. There was an odd moment of silence, as no one dared speak. Hera, who normally spoke with an immediate authority, seemed to biding her time, contemplating her words before she spoke.

"If you guys don't mind…do you think I could join Aphrodite? I've heard that seaweed facial is really good for your pores…" Neil spoke up hopefully "it's all the rage in Japan," he added, as though it would make any difference. He received nothing but disapproving glances (from the Gods) and numerous rolling eyes (from his friends).

His shoulders slumped momentarily, before placing one hand on his hip, the other fanned out towards himself "Sheesh, the existential angst, that _I_ am sensing in this room, is so thick, you could probably cut it with a nail file!"

Theresa giggled inwardly. He had a point, she had to admit, and she was starting to feel a similar annoyance to Aphrodite's. If Hera wasn't going to talk, why had they been called? She tapped her foot impatiently, as her mind wandered off into other things…Jay…the upcoming debutante ball…those shoes she'd been eyeing for ages. Just then, she felt another buzz in her pocket. _Jay…?_ She thought both worriedly and hopefully.

Quickly, she glanced at Archie and Atlanta whose argument seemed to be continuing via a vicious staring contest. _Those two…_Theresa found her thinking, an involuntary smile crossing her face. Odie had an odd sort of look on his face, the bored kind, which made him appear as though he were solving some very heavy equations in his head, just to kill some time. Herry on the other hand, from the look on his face, probably wasn't thinking…at all. The buzzing in Theresa's pocket continued, as she contemplated whether it was worth checking the messages at all.

Just as she was about fish her phone out of her pocket, Hera decided to speak.

"I'm afraid I have news," she began solemnly. Atlanta sighed; it was never good when the person started with "I'm afraid". _It may as well have been the sound of a toilet, flushing our summer vacation down the drain…_she couldn't help but think, _Wow, my poetic techniques are getting good, he he, Odie was right… I better get an 'A' on that poetry oral…_ Just then she felt Archie's arrogant eyes on her back.

"Oh come off it, you did not win the staring contest!" she hissed. He threw her an overly macho smile, which ordinarily would have provoked more than the rolling-of-the-eyes she gave him. _With Hera watching…Probably not a good idea_, she confirmed mentally.

"The prophecy," Hera recommenced, with a heavy sigh "when we first heard it seemed correct, and over time it has been proven…fulfilled…and yet, it did not reveal everything,"

Several pairs of eyebrows shot up simultaneously. Hera's seemingly stoic gaze shifted from person to person. Artemis, Persephone and Hercules, who stood behind her, held incredibly still faces, as they studied the expressions of the teenagers in front of them.

"What are you talking about, Hera? Seven descendants were needed to defeat Cronus…and we have, haven't we? Hasn't the prophecy been fulfilled?" Odie asked, attempting to hide any shakiness in his voice. He'd more or less confirmed what all the others were thinking.

"It is not necessarily Cronus, now, that needs defeating," Hera stated almost hypnotically, her cryptic answers were becoming increasingly irritating.

"So, what you're saying is, we're not defeating Cronus, we're defeating someone else?" Theresa questioned, trying not to let the exasperation in her voice show.

"Again, not necessarily someone else, or Cronus on his own…the prophecy did not account for other opponents or alliances…and therefore, the fact that you were originally seven may not remain so…" Hera answered calmly.

Theresa nodded skeptically, her brow furrowing in annoyance. Suddenly, her mind was rendered completely blank, and was replaced with a flash of blinding light. The light was so bright, its source could not even be determined. The light seemed to dance, to sway, but never falter. Theresa felt her temples begin to ache; her forehead began to produce heat. It was unlike any vision ever before.

Just as the light appeared to die, a gleaming gold chariot pulled by two majestic lions appeared. They ran with a slowed elegance, their muscles rippling beneath their flaxen coats, iridescent in the strange bright light. It didn't appear as though they had a destination, yet they moved with such unquestionable agility, that could not have been simply…running. Then, as quickly as it had come, the vision disappeared, the intolerable light leaving no remnants, no flashes.

"Theresa…Theresa!" shrieked Atlanta's panicked voice, as she grabbed the sides of her psychic friend's arms.

"What?" Theresa cried in disbelief, once she realized the fear on everyone's faces. She turned from Odie to Archie, their faces splashed with concern, to Persephone, who'd come fearfully to her protégé's side.

"What is it?" Theresa demanded impatiently "I mean, _yes_, I had a vision…but you guys are acting like some sort of spir—"

She paused there, fighting her instincts to keep going. They weren't completely off-base in their concern, their fear for her. It hadn't been that long ago that she'd lost control, and perhaps the traces of that were still too fresh in their minds. How could she blame them for questioning her current state of sanity, psychic and otherwise?

"What did you see?" Hera questioned steadily. The tone of her voice seemed to put everyone else back into line, including Persephone, who dutifully and somewhat nervously stepped back from her student.

Theresa cleared her throat; she was going need to be as coherent and calm as possible in order to convince them that was ok. Certainly the vision she saw was odd, and disconcerting, but it hadn't done anything to _harm_ her.

"Look, I just had a vision," she commenced casually "and I saw lots of bright light, and then I saw a couple of lions pulling a gold chariot…that's all,"

She noticed Hera's already pallor complexion pale to the point of pure ice. Persephone too, appeared as though something had sent a chill through her immortal bones, hesitance painting its likeness upon her features.

Hera turned to the other Gods, leaving the teenagers to stare curiously at their guarded discussion.

"It couldn't be…" Persephone whispered, saying as more a statement of impossibility than of shock.

"I cannot be sure," said Hera "We would need to consult Chiron,"

"It couldn't be…" Persephone repeated, her soprano voice trilled with uncertainty.

Artemis came forward, "I'll go see him now…the sooner the better"

"Perhaps we _will_ need the eighth one after all," Hercules commented, his eyes questioning Hera quite openly.

Hera did not answer immediately. A frost entered her eyes as she said, "Perhaps we will,"

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	3. Octagonal

**Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1 (Also, we do not own ****Beyoncé or Julliard, the school mentioned in this chapter)**

**A/N:**Thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed, added us to favourites and alerts! Much love to all…we would give you all medals (The Olympics have a more profound influence than I thought)…except that we don't have any…he he…he he…huh-ummmmm, Yeah, we love you, but no medals!

**Also, a LOT happens in this **_**rather long**_** chapter** (maybe not happens, but is seen) in this chapter and we're not sure how you'll feel about it…so please review, it would mean a lot to us. Oh BTW, this was another dazzeling diamond chapter (Honestly, don't worry, I'm aware you'll be sick of me soon! Ruby will be writing very soon!)

Ok, enough talk! Enjoy!

_**Recap:**_

"Look, I just had a vision," she commenced casually "and I saw lots of bright light, and then I saw a couple of lions pulling a gold chariot…that's all,"

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"Perhaps we _will_ need the eighth one after all," Hercules commented, his eyes questioning Hera quite openly.

Hera did not answer immediately. A frost entered her eyes as she said, "Perhaps we will,"

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**Chapter 3:**

Atlanta craned her neck in a somewhat uncomfortable position in order to concentrate on the strained voices of the Gods' private conversation. While no one besides the deities was talking, Atlanta was finding it difficult to eliminate all sound and concentrate on their words. Normally, she could hear the single rustle of a twig in the wilderness, such was her ability to concentrate when she hunted…but now it was as though they were warding her out.

She crossed her arms in irritation and twisted her lips in unnatural position. The evasiveness was just simply irksome, more than that; it went against her entire nature. Peering at Theresa, Atlanta noticed the restrained panic in her friend's face. Her olive eyes were bright with curiosity, and veiled with calm. Atlanta bit her lip…she would have to keep an eye on Theresa.

It took her a moment to notice, but she had been concentrating so hard on Theresa's façade, that she'd hardly noticed that had Odie had commenced a discussion with Hera, and was now proceeding to escalate into an argument.

"Is it bad, Hera? Is Theresa's vision bad? Because if it's not, where is the necessity for all this guardedness? Hey, even if it is bad, why can't you tell us?" Odie questioned, a slightly nervous edge entered in his voice, as he became suddenly aware of to whom he was speaking.

Hera's face remained a blank canvas. Persephone and Hercules continued to whisper, Hercules gruff voice was channelled into a comforting croon, holding the hands of a shaking Persephone.

"Odie," Hera began, her voice gently commanding "I cannot, and will not, say anything until I have more information. Until then, I would like you all to remain here, and wait for Hermes…it is imperative that you are all here, when he returns,"

Remaining divinely poised, she turned to exit the room with her fellow deities. Neil and Herry exchanged glances, possibly because neither of them had entirely grasped a thread of sense from Hera's words. For once, Odie couldn't argue with them or explain things. The Queen of the Gods could be incredibly vague when she chose to.

"Hermes? When he returns from where?" Odie asked, his voice a semitone higher.

"A flying shoe convention?" guessed Neil, laughing uproariously at his own attempt at 'wit'. But then of course, only_ he _would. The girls rolled their eyes, while Herry and Archie exchanged glances.

"I'll do it," said Herry, gaining a nod from Archie. Herry walked over to Neil, and repeatedly patted his back sympathetically "No, Neil…Just, no, let it go."

"Jeez, well, that's what you get for not letting me go and get a seaweed facial! ME!" burst Neil, flailing his arms childishly by his sides, before freezing still "Actually, that's not a bad thing…you get, ME! Glorious me!"

Theresa stared at his ridiculous display for a second, blinked, and then turned away. Neil's trivial antics didn't concern her right now. "Atlanta, come with, I'm gonna check Jay's messages," she offered, aware that her friend would feel more comforted to watch over her. With their behaviour of late, it seemed apparent that they preferred not to leave her alone.

Atlanta nodded, not before she turned and glared smugly at Archie, mouthing the words, "I won the contest…just face it, the sooner the better."

Archie chuckled, earning surprised glances from the boys. He mouthed in return, "In your dreams…I annihilated you!"

This time she couldn't help herself, the stupid staring contest thing had gone on long enough, and she had to speak out loud…something bold, something witty, and something that would put him in his place….

"Gah, I hate you Archie!" she shrieked, somewhat playfully and somewhat out of frustration. _Well done, Atlanta_, she sarcastically commended herself, _you_ _could not have been any more eloquent!_

He grinned at her cockily, and said in an incredibly slick, and possibly practiced voice, "Don't the hate the player…Hate the game."

She shook her head, and pointed at him, her intentions clear. _I will get back at you…_. Before Theresa yanked her arm towards Persephone's solarium, she grinned at Archie, and noticed him blush. The sounds of Herry, Odie and Neil's teasing voices soon wafted into her awaiting ear. _Score!_ She thought.

Then, all thoughts of Archie fled her mind, as she turned to face Theresa. Flopping themselves onto Persephone's purple chaises, Theresa sighed as she pulled out her phone, momentarily admiring its glitzy attractiveness. As soon as that had worn off, she flipped it open, her heart pounding unusually loud. The screen read, 5 MESSAGES: JAY

"Five messages!" she squealed, covering her mouth with her hand, while tapping her feet on the floor to a rapid staccato rhythm.

_Yah…and I wonder if she's excited about it._ Atlanta chuckled inwardly. It really did puzzle her why it had taken them this long to even start to _consider_ being with each other. What, Jay with all his obsessing over fighting Cronus, looking after everyone and making sure no unnecessary relationships became a hindrance to team and what-not. Then again, the interference of all mythological monsters and enemies did not exactly scream "Relationship!" in their direction.

"Atlanta!" Theresa interrupted brightly.

"Yah?" Atlanta replied a nanosecond later, as her swirling thoughts subsided.

"Jay's having a great time in Greece. He's happy chilling with all his family…he _also_ wondered why it took me until the fifth message to reply, and whether something had happened…And that he misses all of us," Her voice seemed to soften on that last phrase, clearly she was reading between the lines.

"I'm glad he's having fun…some of us should!" Atlanta joked.

"Yep," Theresa said, her voice a little dimmer "I'm…I'm glad too,"

A silence settled between the two girls. Not one of discomfort, exactly, there was no awkwardness in their discussion or its meanings. It was just a silence. Perhaps the awkwardness stemmed from the silence itself. Theresa sighed, tracing designs into the plush lilac upholstery. Immediately, a wave of guilt washed over Atlanta. Not normally one to think before she spoke, she regretted it this time.

Leaning across her chaise, she gave Theresa a hug, gently smoothing her tangerine locks down her back. "Don't worry," she murmured as confidently as she could "He'll be back…before you know it,"

* * *

"Un, deux, trois…pirouette, pirouette, pirouette!" called out a French voice, both smooth and rough at the same time, like the vibrato of a violin. The owner of the voice strolled back and forth, clapping her hands in time to music, while inspecting those who were following her instructions. Several girls and a few boys, all in black leotards followed her command as best they could. The tall French woman, with small birdlike features that did not quite match her lithe frame walked behind them, inspecting them like a judge. Her eyes flitted over the spinning limbs around her, an acute focus in her small eyes throughout.

_Excellent…pas mal…_, she thought as she strolled behind the dancers, _hmm, elle a besoin de plus d'attention...hmm, alors, qui est ça..? Mais, bien sur, je sais…c'est toujours Helia…toujours_. For a few moments, she simply watched.

* * *

Helia Spartakos had just done seven perfectly executed pirouettes in a row. An unusual feat, in fact, it was probably her first time to do seven. She'd reached five before, perhaps, but seven was a whole new level! She sat down, stretching her long deer-like limbs into the vertical splits. There was a familiar pull within her leg muscles, a feeling she invited, in fact, she craved. Each time it became less painful, it meant she needed to work harder.

Lifting her naturally tanned right leg, she placed her pointed foot on the seat of a chair in front of her, surpassing the one-hundred and eighty degree split that was usual for most people. A new intensity burned in her leg muscles. _That's better_, she thought approvingly.

"Helia! I'm so over this, Julliard is giving me no time for a _life,_" whined a voice, at least an octave above most whines. Helia finished her splits, and turned to her friend Estelle, who was on the floor, pulling her diamante legwarmers on. It was true, New York's Julliard, _the_ school for aspiring ballet dancers, did not leave much room for a social life.

Estelle extended her dark cocoa legs in front of her, pointing her bare feet and wriggling her toes from the cold.

"So quit? What's the problem?" Helia probed, with a smile.

"Nah boo, I'm just talkin' 'bout hitting the clubs tonight or some'n…cutting Pierre's class and just leaving…Why don't we go to "Sweet Rhythm"? You loved that place last time…Hehe, we all saw you shakin' your thang, and by 'we' I mean Tyrique! I think he likes you….Anyway, they play the best R'n'B there…"

Helia's friend blabbered on, the words coming out of her mouth increasing exponentially in meaninglessness. _The poor thing…she really is tired_, thought Helia decisively.

"Estelle. Chill. Out." she hissed, silencing her friend "First of all, No, we're not going to cut Pierre's class to go clubbing. Second of all, we're underage! Tyrique is old enough and all…" she paused, to fish for an excuse "…but I'm pretty sure my mother would—"

Any normal motherly reaction she had been about to reveal, dissolved in her mouth before it even formed. Helia stared in the mirror, lifting her arms up to reach the _barre_, feeling a gentle pull in her arms. She spent a very disconcerting moment staring at herself, square on in the mirror. Her Greek features stood out, a honey-tanned complexion, dissimilar to her father's olive one, and glossy black hair, which fell straight and sharp. Actually, the image in the mirror wasn't so bad; it was tolerable when her smooth dark fringe fell conveniently across her face, revealing only one eye, while flicking back in place without looking too odd.

There was dreadful shudder in her bones. Quickly, she tore her eyes away from the mirror. The second she did that, her mother's face entered her mind. _Great,_ she thought, with undertones of annoyance. Soula Spartakos was an interesting story. A fabulous jet-setter (At least, she was once) was announced Miss. Greece at twenty-one, went on to have Helia at twenty three, all the while balancing a glittering modelling career.

Struggling to regain her model status amongst the new set of waifs setting fashion ablaze, she'd settled for dating a millionaire at least a decade and a half older than her, one with, at least according to Helia, the personality of lint. Of course, modelling was only on the back-burn. She had other things in mind…fashion design, talk shows, movies…Who knew?

Her divorce from Helia's father, Elias Spartakos, Greek shipping mogul, had left Helia cold with hatred. Only to become colder, after she dragged Helia out of their comfortable mansion upstate, where she lived with her horses and dogs, and thrust her into the Big Apple. All for _Helia's_ ballet career, of course. At least, that was what she'd described to Elias at the custody hearing.

_Whoa…montage!_ Shrieked Helia's inner voice. That had been happening abnormally often lately. Her mind seemed to be playing the same couple of reels repetitively, and quickly, resulting in odd little montages of her life thus far. Be they those of her in upstate house, with her dog Coppelia (Copper, for short), and her little sister Stella. Even more little things, like her first pair of points, hanging on her old room door, worn, battered and proud…

"Helia, _cherie_, listen," interrupted her ballet teacher. Madame Du Pont stood in front of her, her bird-like face accentuated with darting glances and small sharp head movements. Estelle, too, turned and paid attention.

"Oui, Madame?" Helia answered, as she continued stretching, this time placing her left foot up on the chair, recreating the split she had earlier. Madame Du Pont simply stared for a moment, her eyes like round saucers.

"I 'ave spoken to Pierre, I mean, Monsieur Laurent, and 'e agrees with my idea," said Madame Du Pont, unable to hide a small gloat.

"What idea?" Helia questioned, a tension entering her throat.

"He agrees with me, as he 'sinks zat zere has not been a student like you in really long time, one with real compassion for zis world," she paused, "and 'e 'sinks zat you should audition for zee part of _Giselle_, for our annual showcase,"

A ripple of whispers was released around the room, as all eyes diverted their focus from arabesques to Madame Du Pont and Helia. Madame Du Pont paused again, this time spending a moment to examine Helia's face. Helia squirmed internally, her muscles tightening all over her body.

"Please, pin your _'air_ back, I cannot see _votre visage,_ your face. Also, it is not proper conduct for a ballerina," she requested in a slightly stern voice.

Helia ignored her request, and stood up. Bile rose in her throat, the pungent taste inviting her mind to feel more than a little faint. She sloshed her tongue around her mouth, trying to clear away the overwhelming taste before it grew any more. As if it weren't enough, her temples starting pounding to the rapid beat of an invisible drum. Suddenly, the air in the room felt more contaminated than a room full of ashtrays.

Slowly, she turned to face Madame Du Pont, and the other students, who were now staring at her with more fear, disgust and even contempt, than curiosity.

Staring into Madame Du Pont's beady eyes she only let two word escape her lips, lest anything else want to escape with it, "No way,"

Still in her point shoes, she quickly snatched her long, grey jacket from her things and raced out the door. There was nothing 'prima donna' about her exit, she simply need air, breathable air. Air, preferably, not in that room.

Storming the halls of the building, on point, she earned a few glances from other students, their faces a mixture of confusion (Was she doing some kind of dance?) and admiration (Look how she leaps! What grace even in walking!). There were a few that gazed with disgust (Oh please…she's tries so hard to impress. She's pathetic.). Helia noticed none of them on her way out the doors.

Once she was out, she wandered the streets for a long time, no fear for destroying her points; she had a million of them. Breathing in the New York air, she felt her whole body loosen up and warmth, she hadn't notice disappear, returned.

She walked the familiar streets, her mind devoid of any thoughts of Ballet or Julliard, ignoring the slight itch of her woollen jacket. Just then, the sound of Beyoncé's belting aria could be heard from her bag. Swiftly, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen, identifying the caller before she answered. An image of her mother flashed, while Beyoncé continued her fabulous vocals.

For a split second, she found herself staring at her mother's face, as many often did. She noticed how her mother's long locks hung in layered waves, shimmering like black satin. In every photo, she had some sort of close-lipped seductive smile. Of course, something her mother was particularly proud of was her slim yet shapely body, which in this image was being clung to by a chic black dress, her endless legs on display.

Helia scoffed, while Beyoncé continued to sing an eerily high falsetto. The image continued to flash. In Helia's mind her mother looked less like a model, and more like some hip hop star's girlfriend, the ones in the videos, whom the guys serenaded, pursued and sang about wearing tight jeans and dripping in designer labels. All the while, the girl would make "Come hither" eyes and pouts, distinctively different from the harem of booty shakers often present in the videos. Soula Spartakos was no hoochi mama, she was a _Gucci_ mama, make no mistake.

An inevitable irritation crept into Helia's fingers, as she pressed one particular button forcefully, silencing Beyoncé. Having disconnected the call, she continued to walk, switching the phone itself, off.

Soon a small park appeared. It was an odd sort of place, halfway between an alley and a public park. It sometimes appeared to be both day and night in the one place. Helia settled down comfortable on a large rock, located exactly between the alley and the park. Almost immediately, a familiar creature slinked its way in front of her. A coal black cat glanced up at her, its topaz eyes glowing with expectance.

Helia smiled. "Ok, ok… I've brought you food…chill out,"

Smoothly, she pulled a can of tuna out of her bag, opening it and handing it over to the hopeful cat. Clytemnestra, as Helia had dubbed her, eagerly began to devour the contents of the can.

"Nice cat." entered an unexpected voice.

Helia glanced upwards, still stroking the cat. She stared at the peculiar sight in front of her. A short, man with a wiry build was wearing an unusually styled toga. His prominent facial features were downplayed by a pair of goggles and a winged cap. Matching his winged cap were a pair of chunky winged boots, and a gold staff.

He smiled at her warmly. Instead of feeling nervous, as she would have expected, from meeting an oddly dressed stranger in an alley, she returned his smile.

"Are you own your way to some mythology convention?" she asked, half-jokingly.

"Not really, but you recognise my costume?" he questioned, with an individual twang.

"Hermes?" she guessed, vaguely remembering all those stories her old best friend used to tell her in history class.

"You got it," replied the man dressed as Hermes. He paused to study her for a moment, but stopped when he noticed her visibly writhe upon his gaze.

"What's your cat's name?" he asked.

Helia continued to caress the cat, who was now rubbing it's agile body against her lithe legs. "Well, she's not mine…but I named her Clytemnestra,"

"Nice choice. Ancient Greek. What made you choose that name?" he asked interestedly.

"Well…I heard the name at some point in history class…and I liked it, and well, she just looks like a _Clytemnestra_," Helia replied a little warily. _Yep,_ _she's the one_, he confirmed. Helia watched as the man released a loud whistle.

Nothing Helia had ever seen or done in her life could have prepared her for the sight she was about to witness. A magnificent presence swooped down in front of both of them, a rush of grey, brown and gold seemed to merge from nowhere. The speed of whatever it was, didn't disappear until it stopped moving completely. A creature, twice the size of a draught horse, stood in front of them. It seemed to be half Eagle and half lion, with the astounding presence of something otherworldly. It made an odd sort of shrieking sound towards the man dressed as Hermes.

"Now, Andrea," he scolded "I fed you well and good this morning, so you'd best be on _your_ best behaviour,"

Helia remained frozen in front of them. A quivering Clytemnestra jumped into her bag. Soon after the stillness had worn off, Helia found her whole body shaking nearly uncontrollably.

"It's ok, you're shocked. Don't worry, we've had worse reactions before," the man said upon noticing the disbelief in her eyes. Without any warning, the creature swooped one wing under Helia's legs, tossing her effortlessly on to her back. The man, too, jumped on, in front of Helia.

"Hold on tight, she's a little annoyed with me, silly little griffin, so she's prone to sudden outbursts," he warned, then he noticed her face and spoke with a more reassuring voice "But don't worry…she'll be nice_, if she knows what's good for her!"_ He smiled warningly at the creature.

Helia gulped, and attempted a nervous smile. "Mhm," she murmured. He smiled, as she launched the griffin into the air. Helia clung nervously, to him, the creature and her bag, as she avoided staring at what was now Manhattan, a mere dot, far below them.

"Don't worry," he said cheerfully "All will be explained on the ride!"

* * *

**A/N: ****Ok…Different kind of chapter, wasn't it? We know some people become concerned that OC's steal the focus from canon characters and the main story, but don't worry, none of that is going to happen. **

**Also, can you guess who she is a descendant of? There were a few tiny clues in there. Points for the person who guesses right!**

**Also ****there is a drawing I (dazzeling diamond) drew of Helia and pathetically coloured on the computer (Animation art is not my forte, this is my first actually computer coloured one…my work tends to be more realistic and fashion based, without computers) PLEASE, check it out, and let me know what you think! There's a link on our profile.**

**Also, if you could review with a rounded critique, and maybe comment specifically on some of the things you liked/didn't like **_**specifically**_** in that chapter, that would be most appreciated, and be best thing to help us with writing this story. **

**Thanks! Love to all, rubies'n'diamonds. **


	4. Introductions are Obsolete

**A/N: **Dazzeling diamond here. Just to let you know, this chapter was written by my WONDERFUL writing partner, **Ruby**. We just wanted to thank **all** of you so much for the support you've given us so far, and it means UBER much to be welcomed into this awesome fandom :D

Oh, and we may have had a random and irrelevant cameo in the first scene ;) Eh, it was just for fun. Just so you know, I'm the one who adores Jay. You'll be able to work out who's who, out of us. Not that it really matters. Ok, I'll shut up, now :)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Recap: **

**HELIA:**

Helia gulped, and attempted a nervous smile. "Mhm," she murmured. He smiled, as she launched the griffin into the air. Helia clung nervously, to him, the creature and her bag, as she avoided staring at what was now Manhattan, a mere dot, far below them.

"Don't worry," he said cheerfully "All will be explained on the ride!"

**JAY:**

"Ok, what's up? 'Cause I know you miss Jay and all that jazz….but we _are_ still going to have a fun summer break, yeah?" Atlanta said pointedly. She adored her friend, and didn't want her spending the holidays slumming over the fact that Jay was away to Greece.

* * *

"Jay!" his mother called from pool entrance.

"Yeah?" he replied, from his sun lounge, frowning at his phone. Why wasn't she replying?

"Are you sure you don't want to come meet your great aunt?" she asked. She and his uncle Nobby, who owned a chain of water-taxis, were going to visit some old relatives on the next island over.

"I'll pass," he said with a grim smile.

"Okay, but help your Auntie Elizabeth, she needs all the extra hands she can get! How she manages to run this place, I have no idea…" Jay smiled at his mother as she wandered off and pulled himself out of the lounge, perhaps doing something would distract him.

His aunt was not a blood relation, his mother and uncle were siblings, she wasn't even Greek! Yet, sometimes she seemed more Greek than some of the natives. When she spoke in Greek her accent was exactly that of a local and her cooking would make any Greek mother proud. She looked about as un-Greek as you could get. Born and raised in Australia, she had pale white skin and red frizzy hair. She, along with Nobby, ran a hotel, complete with restaurant and bar, on the small, but beautiful island of Angistri.

He wandered into reception to find a small commotion going on. A girl, who looked quite exhausted, had just arrived and was currently imprisoned in a bone-crushing hug from Elizabeth while his cousin Patricia was dancing around like a mad thing with excitement, her brother Karlos leant against the wall a short distance away, looking interested despite himself, and the dog ran around yapping, his claws scratching and tapping on the tiles.

When Elizabeth released her, he got a good look at her and was surprised to see she looked a little like Theresa; her hair was about the same. Then he realised she looked more like a younger Elizabeth with tamer hair.

"Karlos!" Elizabeth snapped, "Take your cousin's suitcase to her room." Karlos rolled his eyes, but still did as he was told.

"Jay!" Patricia squealed, dragging the redhead over to him, "This is my cousin Rosie, she's from Australia. Rosie, this is my cousin Jay from Canada!"

"Hey," she said with a slight Aussie twang, shaking his hand. "So, what does that make us, second cousins or something?"

"Yeah, something like that. Hey, do you have a pet kangaroo?" he asked, slightly sheepish.

"I dunno," she replied, smiling "Do you Canadians all have tame grizzly bears? And before you ask, I don't wrestle crocodiles in my spare time."

"Rosie, honey, didn't you say you had a friend coming with you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh God, I forgot Suku! I said I'd go back and help her with her luggage!" Rosie exclaimed. She spun on her heel and nearly ran into a tall, handsome, Greek, young man coming through the door carrying two large bags who was closely followed by a stunning girl who looked to be Indian.

"Rosie! You were taking ages so I asked Kai here to give me a hand," she explained, giving him a pat on the arm. Kai was smiling at Patricia and said something in Greek that made Jay's eyebrows rise from the snippet he understood, he was a bit out of practice. Patricia's eyes narrowed.

"Na!" she exclaimed loudly, flipping her hair and then strutting out of the room.

"Um, why did Patri just call him an idiot?" Rosie asked, using her limited knowledge of Greek that included hello, goodbye and insults.

"From what I heard, he asked her on a date," Jay replied.

"It is the fifth time I have asked," Kai said in heavily accented English and shrugged, "One day, she will say yes."

"I'll leave you kids to it," Elizabeth said, walking outside.

"I, too, must go. Goodbye, beautiful ladies," Kai said and departed, Rosie and other girl giggled.

"Who's your friend?" Jay asked, "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

"Oh, yeah, Sukriti this is Jay, Patri's cousin, and Jay this is Sukriti, my bestie!" Rosie said happily.

"Rosie, why did you never tell me that you're cousin's cousin was so divine?" Sukriti purred, raking her eyes up and down Jay's body. Suddenly, a scream sounded from outside.

"Elizabeth!" Rosie exclaimed before running outside, Jay and Sukriti hot on her heels. The girls gasped as they reached the courtyard where an irritated griffin was standing, looking at Elizabeth who had fallen to the ground, her mouth open with shock. Jay couldn't see Hermes anywhere. The griffin spotted him and flapped its wings vigorously.

"Come on you stupid human!" it seemed to say. Jay sighed and walked up to it calmly.

"What the Hell is that and why is it in my hotel, Jay?" Elizabeth demanded.

"It's a griffin," Rosie whispered and Jay nodded.

"The, ah… Some friends of mine sent it." Jay explained reluctantly.

"Huh, friends it really high places it seems," Sukriti muttered.

"You could say that," Jay said, vaulting onto the creatures back, "Do me a favour? Tell my mother I've gone back to school? Urgent new experiment. She kinda doesn't know about my, uh, friends."

"Sure, honey, whatever you say," Elizabeth nodded, some of the colour returning to her face "I need to lie down."

"Sorry to dash out on you, I'll see you next year!" Jay shouted as the griffin launched itself into the air. He turned back and watched them getting gradually smaller until it was a tiny dot. He sighed and checked his phone, Theresa hadn't replied…Now he was really worried.

* * *

"Theresa, could you stay for a moment?" Hera asked after she had dismissed the others, "I would like to discuss your vision with you." Theresa nodded and she caught Atlanta giving her a look of sympathy as the others left.

"Now, these lions," Hera asked, "Did they look like Demeter's at all?"

"No, quite different. They looked almost gold with black manes, not at all like Demeter's white lionesses. They were just a fierce though, roaring and all that. Why? Do you know what it might mean?"

"We're not sure," Persephone said, "We need to think about each part of your vision. What was the mood like?"

"It was kind of… foreboding. Like I was anticipating something..." Theresa frowned at the memory.

"Can you remember what the lighting was like?" Persephone asked.

"Well, after streams of bright light, I noticed that behind the lions, it was dark, but _they_ were lit up. So, I'd say they were emerging from darkness into light." Theresa surmised. Persephone nodded, looking proud of her student's insight.

"And the chariot," Hera prompted, "Was there anyone in it?"

"Not… Not that I could tell… I couldn't see it very well." Teresa said, looking apologetic.

"Thank you Theresa, this is excellent information and we will inform you if we find something that concerns you and the group." Hera said in polite dismissal. Theresa nodded and hurried to catch up with her friends. Perhaps they'd have some time to relax before this mystical 'eighth person' arrived.

* * *

They didn't get long. A few hours later, after dinner thankfully, they were 'summoned'. When they arrived Hera was having a conversation with Hermes with a girl standing nearby, wearing ballet tights and layered purple singlets, revealing a bejewelled belly-button. A good portion of her face was covered by her glossy side fringe. Obviously, this was her. She eyed them cautiously and Theresa found herself feeling slightly sorry for the girl.

"Ah! You're all here, excellent." Hera began, "This, as you may have guessed, is the eighth member of your team. Her name is Helia Spartakos."

"Sp-Sp-Spartakos?" Neil exclaimed, suddenly paying attention, "Holy Hermès! You can't be related to Soula Spartakos! I love her! She is _uhhh-mazing_," he gushed.

"She's my mother," Helia said tightly, staring at her points, obviously annoyed. Neil inhaled sharply.

"Oh. My. God. Is that a _Limited Addition _Prada Fairy Bag?" Neil asked, awed, pointing at the unassuming bag hooked over her shoulder.

"I doubt Miuccia would give her a fake," Helia said bitterly.

"MIUCCIA _Prada_? You have to be kidding me! _She GIVES_ them to your mother!" Neil shrieked, he then paused to recollect himself, "I think you and I will be great friends!"

Helia stared at him in disbelief, as did the rest of the team. Archie bristled; there had been something about that girl that had irked him just looking at her, now he was sure that he definitely didn't like her. Odie considered her carefully. Inherently, he seemed to dislike her, which was so entirely uncharacteristic of him. It was odd. For a moment, no one spoke and the silence quickly became awkward.

"So, um… What do you, uh, know about us?" Theresa asked, fishing for a topic that could help the group to accept her and her, them. She wished Jay were here, this was his sort of thing. Helia opened her mouth to reply when Jay skidded through the door, his eyes landing on Theresa immediately, a broad grin splitting his face.

"Theresa," he breathed, his chest still heaving from his run. He raced towards her and hugged her close.

"Missed you," he whispered in he ear.

"Same," she replied and they released each other.

"Okay, so what's Cronus up to now?" Jay asked, his eyes travelling the faces of his team until they landed on a person who he had definitely not expected to see. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened comically.

"Helia?" he exclaimed. Helia turned to look at him, her confused expression melting into one of shock.

"Jay?!"

* * *

**Ooh...**Why does Archie have an odd feeling about her? Odie too!? What's up with Theresa's vision? Jay knows _her_ name? And vice _versa_? GASPETH.

**On another note**, for those of you who are still into mythology outside CoTT. Ruby, myself and our friend, Mystery-Immortal, have teamed up to write mythology fic, for those interested in reading it, we'd love feedback! There's a link on our profile (Oh, shameless advertising...I know!). There is also **Another drawing of Helia, **feel free to check it out, again, the link is on the profile. **Also, just to let you know, **Helia is pronoucned "HEEL-ee-ya" not "HELL-ee-ya" :) Just thought I'd add that.

**Do you see that lovely blue button _just beckoning for you to_...click, yes, that's right...go ahead...don't be shy, now! **

**In other words, please review :)**


	5. Story Time!

**Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter. Also, we do not own any of the labels, celebrities, magazines, department stores or TV shows mentioned in this chapter.**

**A/N: **What up people! Dazzeling diamond talkin' here, and the glorious Ruby is beside me, twirling her hair absentmindedly :D WELLLLLL, we apologise for the long wait, in between the end of school, graduation and just trying to find our writing minds again, we've both been vaguely distracted :S But we have finally returned! And with a vengeance! MWAHAHA! Sorry, I've been evil-laughing all day...Why stop now? Anyway, just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed and/or put this story on alert! You make us MUY FELIZ!!! (That's VERY HAPPY, in Spanish!) Alors, this chapter was written by both myself AND Ruby. Love to all you chicas and chicos out there :D Enjoy!

**Recap:**

"So, um… What do you, uh, know about us?" Theresa asked, fishing for a topic that could help the group to accept her and her, them. She wished Jay were here, this was his sort of thing. Helia opened her mouth to reply when Jay skidded through the door, his eyes landing on Theresa immediately, a broad grin splitting his face.

"Theresa," he breathed, his chest still heaving from his run. He raced towards her and hugged her close.

"Missed you," he whispered in he ear.

"Same," she replied and they released each other.

"Okay, so what's Cronus up to now?" Jay asked, his eyes travelling the faces of his team until they landed on a person who he had definitely not expected to see. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened comically.

"Helia?" he exclaimed. Helia turned to look at him, her confused expression melting into one of shock.

"Jay?!"

**Chapter 5: **

The two adolescents stared at each other, momentarily ignorant of the presence of their peers. Surrealism no longer felt like purely an artistic term. Like a Polaroid snap shot that had fallen out of a random scrapbook, seeing Jay's face was both familiar and unexpected. It was startlingly familiar. Except for a few things, which were still undeniably 'Jay'. Indeed, the photograph in her mind still matched the Jay in front of her.

Helia attempted to hide the concentration in her features as she drank in the effect Jay had always had on her. He seemed to exude the airs and graces of a real man now, evident in his strong stance and direct gaze. Everything about him seemed more…defined.

"I-I… What are you doing here?" Jay said, his deep voice sounding unusually flustered.

Helia opened her mouth to speak, but the words were still caught unpleasantly in her throat. Jay looked at her, and shook his head, as if in apology.

"She is one of us now, I shall explain all of it later….Just help her settle in for now," Hera answered solemnly, her voice low. Hera turned to the other deities and nodded, cuing for them to follow her. Just then, Athena appeared her arms carrying a tray laden with ambrosia.

"Hungry, anyone?" Athena's smooth tones rang out, holding the tray outwards the Gods. Without another word, Hercules enthusiastically reached for the tray, quickly thanked her and rushed off, mid-gobble. Turning to face the teenagers, Athena smiled.

Athena inspected the new girl for a few seconds, her gaze a mix of scrutiny and curiosity. "The new girl, aye? Come on, let's head over to the Brownstone."

The teenagers followed after Athena, all except Neil…who followed Helia, grinning like a Japanese tourist in a Louis Vuitton outlet.

* * *

"So, this would be the living room…Over there is the kitchen, those are the stairs, and up there is where all the bedrooms are located." Athena directed, playing the role of tour guide. Helia nodded, but said nothing. Archie, Atlanta, Herry and Odie had settled on the couch and were preparing to thrash each other in 'Zombie Hunter: Return of the Undead II'. There had been much anticipation over this marathon, after all given their orders to stay put, any other plans had been placed on sabbatical. At that moment, video games were all they had.

Helia retied the jacket around her waist and fiddled with one of the zips on its sleeves, avoiding all gazes. Tentatively, she placed her handbag on the dining table and rummaged through, reaching for her Sidekick, she thumbed the appropriate buttons to unlock the screen. '4 New Messages', it read. One from Estelle. The rest from her mother. Without opening any of them, she sighed and placed the wretched piece of technology back into the supple leather lining of her handbag.

Staring at the table top, lost in her thoughts, Helia didn't notice when Jay approached her. Thrown by his suddenly proximity, she gasped internally. Looking at him through her fringe, she wondered what to say, whether to smile, and why she even needed to question at all. Sure, they hadn't seen each other in years and he'd left without so much as a 'Bye Helia! I'm just gonna disappear on you!' but it wasn't as though they were _new_ friends.

"Helia," Jay began softly, halting her swirling thoughts "I just wanted to say that—"

"Heeeeeliiiiiiaaaaaaaaa! LOOK! We have matching watches! SEE!" Neil buoyantly flung his arm in the air, just short of smacking Helia in the face. Locking it into position, he held it there, and grinned, his teeth shone with an almost neon glow. Stepping back from Neil's tanned wrist, Helia shook her head slowly, her groomed eyebrows arched quizzically. Jay stood beside her, hardly shocked by Neil's antics, but irritated with his sudden enthusiasm towards Helia.

Still beaming like a Vogue cover, Neil shook his wrist around as though he was performing some kind of manic wave. He then grabbed Helia's forearm, placing his next to hers, momentarily distracted by the lovely shade of her honey skin next to his golden, and then shrieked "See! _You_ have the women's version, and _I_ have the MAN'S!"

To further the primitive nature of his statement, Neil struck what he presumed to be a manly pose. Flexing his left arm, while his right hand settled stylishly on his hip, he pouted and turned his head dramatically to the side.

"Yes. Manly." Helia replied with faux excitement "Fabulous! We're clearly the most fashionable here!"

Neil gasped with glee, jumping in the air with an unusual amount of energy, clasping a hand to his chest. "You feel it, too? So do I! We are soooooooooo on the same wave-length."

"Totally." Helia answered, as she turned towards Jay.

"This is too awesome for words, wait, I was in New York on the weekend…You HAVE to see what I bought at Bergdorf's, wait RIGHT HERE. I'll be right back!" Neil shrieked, gaily flipping his jazz hands towards her. He then ran away with a burst of speed normally possessed by Atlanta.

Jay shifted to face Helia, cocking his head to the side with a familiar frustration. "Sorry, about Neil…He's a bit _enthusiastic_."

Helia smiled with pursed lips and nodded tersely, her gaze returning to the ground. An uncomfortable thread of silence seemed to spread between the two.

Jay swallowed. "So, I—"

"Jay!" exclaimed Theresa, as she casually approached the teenagers. With an unusually broad smile, Theresa laced her arm through Jay's and looked at Helia.

"So, your room is the one next to mine, and mine is the one with the purple door." Theresa told Helia, maintaining her smile. Unsure of quite how to respond to Theresa's statement, Helia nodded and tried to replicate Theresa's smile. Seemingly satisfied, Theresa turned to Jay, her smile changing.

"I was going to do this when you came back from Greece, but seeing as you're here now, I may as well show you the 'Cassandra Technique' that Persephone's taught me." Theresa suggested brightly, squeezing his hand.

"Sure." Jay said, looking at Helia questioningly.

"Yeah…Uh, go ahead." Helia reassured. Jay's eyebrows rose.

Helia crossed her arms, "Really."

Without another word or inquisitive glance, Jay left with Theresa. Helia released a sigh, one she had unknowingly locked in her chest. Feeling a rush as she inhaled again, Helia tilted her head to the side, her arms still crossed. Staring at the wooden floorboards, she found herself engrossed in the whorls in the wood, absentmindedly scuffing her foot.

Over in the living room, an argument had erupted amongst the four 'Zombie Hunters'. One that involved Atlanta's voice yelling above numerous grunts and the sound of unearthly screams echoing from the TV speakers. The rhapsody of buttons being pushed in a rapid fight, both literally and figuratively, rose to a deafening crux.

"That's it! You broke the code! You know that using the 'Torch of Doom' to crucify one of MY zombies is not allowed! _Stick to _your_ side_!" an arrogant voice commanded, accentuated by pounding footsteps. The footsteps seemed to grow louder with each exasperated stomp.

Helia tore her distracted gaze away from the wood and looked up, only to see a undeniably irate purple-haired male in front of her, his eyes alight with rage.

"What are you lookin' at?" the boy virtually spat.

Suddenly, she was filled with an anger that sparked a pleasantly gratifying eloquence. Glaring at the boy, Helia shook her head condescendingly. There was just something about him, from his ridiculous hair to his complete lack of pleasantries. He challenged her glare with a smug smirk, one which accentuated the sharp angles of his face.

"What am I looking at?" Helia repeated in disbelief, "Well, look who's living in a glass house."

Smiling icily, she maintained her crossed arms and placed her weight on one leg, her hip to the side. To her surprise, he burst into uproarious laughter and began slapping his knee in a jerky rhythm, as he nearly keeled over.

"What?" She barked, her smooth voice in accusatory tone was like a blend of dainty and dynamite. Without responding directly, he continued his distorted chuckles. Briefly managing to 'recollect' himself, his eyes widened to saucer size as he inhaled an enormous lungful of air. In spite of his efforts to summon a sense of calmness, he failed and began to laugh again, this time more deeply and less controlled.

"Are you kidding me?" Helia muttered under her breath, feeling flames of infuriation underline her words. Involuntarily, she began to point her left foot, waiting for a familiar strain in her leg.

"I think that's something _I_ oughta ask…Seriously, you show up here, act like you're above everyone else with your 'Oh, I'm a pretty prima ballerina!'" Archie attempted to portray this, by lifting his arms up and spinning exaggeratedly on his toes "And then you try to act all threatening. Look, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but you don't need to be here."

"Don't need to be here?" Helia shrieked, then self-consciously lowered her voice "Who said I WANTED to be here? I mean, you don't even _know_ me, and here _you_ are making all these half-baked, no I take that back, blatantly WRONG accusations about me…Honestly."

"As much fun as this sounds, we kinda, like, have to go…Hera's strutting around like Janice Dickinson at Valentino…TOTALLY off the runway!" interrupted a chirpy voice belonging to Neil, who was posed next to the arguing pair, skillfully waving a jazz hand about.

_What is WITH the jazz hands?_ Helia wondered. Archie exhaled a breath worthy of an ox. A stubborn ox.

"Shall we away?" Neil invited Helia, holding a manicured hand out to his, hopefully, protégé. After all, someone had to show her the ropes around there. Being a hero was 'difficult and all', so who better to assist her than the most groomed and cultured male there?

Helia sighed, and replaced her grimace with dazzlingly perky smile, while her eyes flashed towards Archie, with a steely flame.

"Let's." She answered. The trio left, while Neil burst into a lively one-man conversation about 'Gossip Girl', wonderfully ignorant of the growing tension between Archie and Helia.

* * *

The teenagers had been locked in a discussion with a Hera, whose usually calm demeanour seemed slightly perturbed. She seemed to speak a little quicker, her voice rising steadily. If she weren't such a reserved person even as she drowned a pool of her own frustration, Atlanta was sure Hera could have done a repeat of the donkey incident without so much as a blink.

Having stood around for at least half an hour, listening to Hera explain their world to Helia, Archie was readily falling asleep on his feet. _Enough of this_, he mentally decided, as he athletically jumped away from the pillar he was leaning on. There was really only one thing he was interested in knowing, and he was sure that everyone else was thinking it.

"So, who's she the descendant of?" Archie asked Hera. Helia's expression darkened, her one visible eyebrow furrowing and the one hidden by her curtain of hair obviously did the same as a small furrow appeared between them.

"I'm right here you know!" she exclaimed, her stance as threatening as possible for someone wearing ballet gear. Archie rolled his eyes with a not-so-subtle smirk and Helia's gaze narrowed, her soft brown eyes appearing to darken a shade as she began to clench her fists.

"Helia," Jay started, his voice soothing, sensing the impending discord.

"He's so _irritating_," she hissed back. Atlanta gave a small chuckle.

"You're not alone in that opinion," she said smiling at the new girl.

"And what do you mean by 'ancestor'? Don't even try to map my mother's side, she was adopted." Helia shrugged. Hera gave a small all-knowing smile.

"Helia… She is the descendant of Helen. Helen of Sparta."

* * *

"Helen of _Sparta_? Don't you mean Helen of Troy?" asked Herry, scratching his head.

"The face that launched a thousand ships!" Neil sighed, "I know all about her! She's my idol!"

"Um… Neil, she's kind of dead." Herry pointed out.

"But her memory lives on," Neil replied dreamily.

"Although she's remembered in all the stories as Helen of Troy, she was technically Helen of Sparta," Odie explained. Archie snorted.

"How is Helen a hero?" he asked, "She was just pretty face who got a whole heap of people killed 'cause she decided she didn't like her husband any more! We've got Neil, I don't think I can cope with another self-obsessed airhead."

"How dare you!" Helia spat, fury lancing through her.

"Don't listen to him, he's being an idiot," Jay advised, touching her arm lightly for a moment. Theresa lips pursed slightly.

"Helen was a heroine in her own right," Hera interjected smoothly, "History didn't get her full story."

"Story time people!" Persephone shrieked, beginning to clap excitedly.

"Oh, but it's so saaayud!" Aphrodite moaned.

"Aphrodite! Most of it was your fault anyway!" Persephone exclaimed.

"I didn't know! And you know I can help it! Beautiful people are sooo tragically lovely when they suffer!" The eight teenagers glance at each other, looking slightly disturbed.

"But to Helen," Hera interrupted calmly, "The basic story, as the mortals told it, was that at a meeting between Sparta and Troy negotiating trade Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus, caught the eye of Paris, a Trojan prince. He wooed her and they fell in love. When the Trojans left Sparta and returned home, Helen went with them. Menelaus declared war on Troy, recruiting many great heroes to his side including Odysseus the Cunning and Achilles the Warrior. Troy was a veritable fortress and a siege was held for ten years until Odysseus devised the idea of the Trojan Horse. It was offered as a gift along with surrender of the Spartans. Inside the wooden horse were hidden soldiers who emerged from after it had been taken into the city and all the residents were asleep or intoxicated. The Trojans were slaughtered, ending the war and returning Helen to Menelaus."

"See!" Archie exclaimed, "She wasn't a hero! The whole war was her fault!"

"You're just bitter because Paris killed Achilles," Theresa said with a laugh.

"That's not the entire story, of course," Hera said, "Helen was planning on leaving Sparta before she even met Paris,"

"What?!" Neil exclaimed, "Oh, this is brilliant!"

"Yes, Helen rightly feared for her safety. Menelaus believed that his brother Agamemnon planned to take Helen for himself and had decided he would lock Helen away so that only he could see her. He planned to imprison her after the Trojans left. So, Helen escaped with Paris. Her attraction to him was secondary at that point, though she did fall very in love with him in time."

"Hardly makes her a hero," Archie interrupted shamelessly. Hera sent him a piercing glare.

"I do not appreciate being interrupted, Archie," she said coldly. "I trust you will not do it again?" He nodded reluctantly.

"Burn!" Herry whispered, trying to contain his chuckles. Archie scowled.

"Now, the other part of Helen's history that was omitted from the history books was what truly happened to her after the War. She remained in Sparta for a time with Menelaus who was so happy of her return that he forget his intention of imprisoning her. His jealously soon return, however, and Helen, plagued with guilt over the War that she believed to be her fault, fled Sparta and returned to the ruins of Troy. She travelled through charred and ruined city until she reached the centre of the city. For five years she pleaded with the gods to restore Troy, calling upon Apollo and his Phoenixes, claiming that she would sacrifice anything for the restoration of Troy. Not just the buildings, but the inhabitants too.

"Apollo decided to humour her, believing she would not be willing to sacrifice what he would request her to. He told her that he would restore Troy to its former glory if she gave up what she cared for most. She agreed and Apollo told her that she would have to sacrifice her beauty. Helen was shocked, having expected that she would either die or sacrifice her freedom to Apollo as his mistress. She still accepted and a surprised Apollo summoned Aphrodite. Aphrodite relieved Helen of her beauty, leaving her an ugly crone, while the Phoenixes of Apollo magically restored Troy around her. Her joy could not be dimmed, even when she saw her now hideous reflection in a fountain.

"She became a priestess in the temple of the goddess of night, Nyx, and worked in dream interpretation. One day, as she walked through the city, she encountered Paris and engaged him in conversation. He did not recognise her, which she expected. Oddly enough, when she lost her beauty she had retained her voice and so she expected that when she introduced herself as Helen that it would cause some reaction in her old lover. But Paris did nothing. There was no recognition or sadness in his expression and she knew his expressions. She returned to the temple and spent the rest of her days there, her life devoted to the gods."

"So, you're saying I'm related to Helen of Troy?" asked Helia slowly and Hera nodded. "Oh."

"Having teenage heroism thrust upon you is a bit daunting. We'll help you through." Theresa said kindly, moving to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Helia shifted in a movement too graceful to be a jerk, but just as swift, away from the touch.

"I… I'm sorry," she stammered, "I'm not… fond of being… touched." Theresa frowned slightly.

"You let Jay, " she stated coldly. Helia ducked her head forward a little, further hiding her face behind her hair.

"Well, I trus-… I know him," she explained.

"You don't trust them?" Jay asked, almost sounding disappointed.

"You know me, Jay," she replied softly, "I can't yet."

* * *

**GASPETH! The drama...it OVERWHELMS, _lol_. *Fans self* I think I have to lie down now, tee hee. Anywhoooooo, mucho amor from us, ESPECIALLY for all you adorable reviewers out there! Te amamos! That's Spanish for...We love you! XOXO, Diamond and Ruby.**


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